Supernova

by Kate Stacy

  Madalyn is nervous, understandably.

  I’ve pushed my own nerves and worry aside since we found out. I know it’s not necessarily a healthy thing to do, but right now, Madalyn needs my strength and positivity. She’s worried enough for both of us and I worry about her stressing too much, and the effects it could have on her and the baby.

  Her knee starts to bounce rapidly, so letting go of her hand, I rest my palm on her thigh and give it a gentle squeeze. Thankfully, she seems to relax a bit, until the door opens, and a nurse pokes her head out.

  “Madalyn Blackwood?”

  God, I’ll never stop loving the way that sounds.

  She stands, grabbing my hand to pull me with her.

  “Hi, Mrs. Blackwood. I’m Brenda. If you’ll follow me, we’ll get you started while we wait for the doctor to finish up with another patient.”

  Madalyn smiles nervously, but follows the nurse, still pulling me behind her. Seeing her lead me down the hallway, the nurse winks and I chuckle.

  Brenda sticks me in an exam room to wait while she takes Mads to pee in a cup, check her weight, and whatever else they do at these appointments. I’m really gonna have to buy some books to read or something because I have no clue what I’m doing. At this point, I’m just winging it.

  Looking around the room, I see it’s full of informative posters about the female reproductive system, birth control, and childbirth. One of the posters in the corner of the room catches my eye. I can’t really see what it is, so I stand to get a better look.

  Seconds later, I regret the decision. I plant my ass back in the chair, stair at my shoes, and make a mental note to stay near Madalyn’s head when she gives birth.

  I’m mid-cringe when Mads comes into the room. She gives me a curious look, but I stand quickly, helping her up onto the exam table. I’m sure she can do it on her own, but I’m going to help her every step of the way.

  Fifteen minutes later, there’s a knock at the door before it opens and a woman in a white lab coat enters the room. Gonna assume this is the doctor.

  “Madalyn, good to see you,” she says. “You must be her husband. I’m Dr. Townsend.”

  I nod, hoping she gets to the important stuff. The anticipation is killing me. I mean, we already know she’s pregnant. But hearing it from a medical professional is even more confirmation. Hopefully by the time this appointment ends, Mads and I will have a little less worry.

  “Well, I can definitely confirm that you are pregnant.”

  I smile at the news. Until I see the look on the doctor’s face. I wait for the “but” that’s about to follow.

  “I’ve looked over your hospital records,” she says, flipping through some pages in a file folder she brought in with her. A deep crease forms between her brows. “Your history with miscarriages makes this a high-risk pregnancy. But my real concern is the damage to your uterus.”

  “What do you mean?” Mads asks.

  “Well, it’s a miracle you’ve managed to conceive at all. With the scarring in your uterus, I wouldn’t consider this pregnancy a viable one. There’s a very small chance you could carry the fetus to term and if you did manage, the birth would be extremely dangerous for both you and the baby.”

  I look from the doctor to Madalyn. Her expression is blank and closed off.

  I’m usually a smart guy, but I’m clueless when it comes to the inner workings of the female body. I’m hearing what the doctor is saying, but it’s not processing.

  “What exactly are you saying?”

  Looking at my wife again, waiting for one of them to explain, I see the tears pooling in her eyes.

  Dr. Townsend speaks first. “In my professional opinion, based on your wife’s medical history, this pregnancy is extremely dangerous. I would advise terminating the pregnancy.”

  Madalyn’s eyes close and a solitary tear falls.

  Fuck. This. Shit.

  Standing, I reach for Madalyn’s hand. Once I help her down from the table, I turn to the doctor. With as much calm as I can possibly fucking muster right now, I tell her as politely as possible, “Thank you for your professional opinion, but we’ll be seeking a second opinion elsewhere.”

  Without waiting for a response, I leave the room pulling my wife behind me.

  How dare she fucking suggest Madalyn “terminate” the pregnancy after flipping through her medical records for less than two minutes. Madalyn has already lost two babies and that bitch wants her to willingly sentence another to death. Fuck that! Madalyn would never consider it and I would never ask her to.

  I won’t accept that as our only option.

  The only thing out of that woman’s mouth that I do accept is the fact that this baby is a miracle.

  She’s absolutely right about that.

  Our little miracle deserves a chance to live, and parents willing to fight for that chance.

  I couldn’t believe Dr. Townsend even suggested it.

  She’s been my doctor since I was a girl and first needed a “lady doctor.” Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought she would be so nonchalant about suggesting an abortion.

  My appointment was supposed to set my mind at ease, but all it did was add to the stress and worry. Thankfully, Jax got me out of there as quickly as he could. He knew. The moment he realized what she was suggesting, he knew it wasn’t something I could ever bring myself to do. If the universe’s plan is to not let me have this baby, the loss will have to happen naturally. I would never willingly make the choice to kill my unborn child, especially when I’m still mourning my losses.

  Jax drove us straight home, deposited me into bed, and disappeared outside for a while.

  I thought maybe he needed to blow off some steam, but when he came back, he joined me in bed. He pulled me against him, voiced his extremely personal opinion of the doctor, and let me know I had another appointment scheduled outside of Blackwood.

  Turns out, he called Dr. Richardson—the surgeon who saved my life—explained our situation to him and asked if he could recommend us to another OB/GYN who wouldn’t have such a singular “professional” opinion. Dr. Richardson gladly provided a recommendation, going as far as calling to get me seen the same day.

  Dr. Khaskia is perfect. She’s patient, understanding, and super friendly. We went over my entire medical history. She also expressed concerns about possible complications but was shocked and appalled to hear that terminating the pregnancy was the first thing my previous doctor suggested.

  For now, we’re taking things day by day. My appointments will be more frequent than what’s usually required, but my pregnancy is extremely high-risk. I’ll be monitored closely so if any complications do arise, we find a way to deal with them.

  Leaving Dr. Khaskia’s office that day, I felt the first stirring of hope since I saw those two little pink lines. With an incredible doctor, a loving and supportive husband, and a game plan, we can do our best to ensure this pregnancy progresses as smoothly as possible.

  Now if only I could get my husband to stick to the plan.

  The doctor said it was fine if I work. This early in the pregnancy, there isn’t a whole lot I can do to harm the baby. So, she told me to work as long as I felt up to it, although she did warn me to take it easy and listen to my body’s cues.

  Jaxson has a different opinion. He doesn’t want me to work. I think all of my worry transferred to him because he heard the doctor’s suggestions and somewhere in his mind it translated to wrapping me in bubble wrap for my entire pregnancy.

  “Jaxson, I promise you I will take it easy. I won’t lift a thing. I’ll even take a chair behind the counter and sit if that will make you happy. Hails already thinks I have the flu, so she won’t let me near the food. I’m basically only there to keep her company.”

  “I’m sorry, baby. I don’t want to argue with you. I just worry. I want you and the baby to be healthy.” He sighs, crouching down beside me, placing his hand on my lower belly.

  “I know that, Jax. And I love you for i
t, but the doctor said I could work. I can’t sit around the house and do nothing the whole nine months. I’ll go insane.” I lean over and kiss his head. “I want this baby more than anything. I won’t do anything that could put either of us in jeopardy.”

  I can tell by the way he’s looking at me that he’s conceding. “Okay, baby. I’ll try to relax and stop being so overprotective. But you have to promise not to overdo it.”

  The stern look on his face is adorable, but I hold in my laugh because I know this is really serious. He’s worried and has every right to be.

  “I promise. Besides, Hailee has her own shit she’s dealing with right now. I’ll probably end up sitting around all day listening to her drama. I love Drake, but if he doesn’t deal with this shit, I’m gonna kick his ass. Hailee doesn’t need this shit. She’s dealt with enough bullshit in her life.”

  “I hear ya, baby. But let’s focus on us, okay? We have more than enough to worry about. We’ll always be here to support our friends, but don’t let their stress turn into your stress, yeah?”

  “No worries, honey.”

  Chuckling, he rests his head against my belly.

  “I love you, Madalyn.” Turning his head, he kisses just below my belly button. “I love you too, little one.”

  And I love that my sexy, muscular, tatted husband still makes me swoon.

  Morning sickness is a fucking joke.

  Whoever gave it its name needs to be sued for fraud, or false advertisement, or something. Ugh. My “morning” sickness is awful. I swear my stomach starts churning right after lunch and doesn’t stop until well into the night. I have never felt so sick in my entire life. Luckily, I’ve only thrown up at work a couple of times, which is why Hailee thinks I have some sort of flu or virus.

  If I can’t get this nausea under control, she’s going to know something’s up, and I’m not ready to share the news just yet.

  I left work a little early today. The bakery smells were making it impossible to settle my stomach, so I called in some help for Hailee and came home. I stripped down, crawled in bed, and that’s exactly where I am when Jaxson finds me after work.

  “Hey, baby. Feeling sick again?” he asks, sliding into bed next to me.

  I carefully turn over to face him. “Yeah. This morning sickness shit is for the birds. I don’t know how anyone deals with this. Hell, I didn’t even deal with this during my other pregnancies.”

  “I’m sorry. I wish I could make you feel better. Did you work the whole day?”

  “No, I left not long after noon. My nausea was terrible, and I can only pass it off as the flu for so long before Hailee starts asking questions.

  “You’re sure you don’t want to tell her?” he asks.

  “I don’t want to tell anyone yet,” I say, shaking my head. “I mean, yeah I’d love to share our excitement with everyone, but at the same time, I don’t want to get everyone’s hopes up. Just in case. I’m trying to stay positive, but I’m also being realistic.”

  Jax reaches over and takes my hand, threading our fingers together. “That’s fair. So, we tell everyone after Halloween? You’ll be in the second trimester by then.”

  “Sounds like a plan. Sometime after Halloween,” I say, yawning.

  Growing a human is exhausting, and I’m only just getting started.

  Jaxson leans over to give me a slow, sweet kiss. “Get some rest, baby. I’m gonna go hit up our trusty friend, Google, and see if I can find some things that might help you feel better.”

  I thank him, I think. I mean to, but my eyelids grow heavy and I don’t know if I manage to get the words out.

  Keeping a pregnancy a secret is a major pain in the ass.

  I’ve been hiding my pregnancy from my friends and family for a month now and it’s getting increasingly difficult. I’m sick all the time. I guess I’m one of those lucky women who have really terrible morning sickness. Dr. Khaskia offered me a prescription for nausea medication that’s safe to use during pregnancy, but it’s something I don’t want to risk. Jax found these little ginger hard candies that help a little bit, so I’m constantly popping them in my mouth. Even the smallest amount of relief is welcome.

  The worst part of keeping this secret is having to lie to my best friend constantly. It makes me feel like a horrible person, though I’m sure she’ll understand when I do finally break the news.

  It’s Halloween, and tonight, Blackwood Brewhouse is hosting its annual Halloween party. Holden and Jaxson came up with the brilliant idea to partner with The Sweet Spot and serve sweet treats infused with alcohol at this year’s party. Hails and I have spent the last week coming up with recipes and testing them.

  It’s been hard as hell to come up with excuses to avoid tasting any of the recipes without arousing suspicion. I tried to think of creative ways to fake it, but even then, I wouldn’t be able to offer an honest opinion. I finally convinced Hailee to have the guys come in and taste everything since we were making the treats for their bar. They were happy to be guinea pigs for our creations and even brought my sisters in for the fun.

  I’m almost to my second trimester, so it’s probably safe to let our friends and family know, but I’d really like to wait and surprise them on Thanksgiving.

  I’m dead on my feet today. It’s been a long week between the extra work at the bakery, running around town shopping for costumes with Hailee, and the late nights helping her deal with the drama Drake’s ex-girlfriend is stirring up. I’m freaking exhausted.

  Part of me wishes I could stay in tonight because curling up in bed sounds ridiculously amazing right now. I can’t do that, though. Tonight is important to Jaxson and I want to be by his side. This party will also be a last hoorah of sorts, since I’ll likely start showing in the next few weeks. Despite feeling like shit, I want to go out and have a good time.

  Jax didn’t want me driving tonight, so I spend the afternoon getting ready early so I can ride to the bar with him. I really should have thought about the heels when choosing this devil costume. My feet are gonna be screaming before the night is over. When I finish getting ready, I find Jax in the kitchen putting together a bag of snacks for me. There are very few foods that don’t make me sick right now, so the fact that he’s thought about it and is preparing food so I don’t get hungry tonight is incredibly sweet.

  I stand, watching him with tears in my eyes. I’m fanning my face with my hand to try to stop the tears from falling when Jaxson turns around.

  “You okay over there, baby?” he asks, doing a piss poor job of hiding his amusement.

  “Fine. My stupid hormones are broken. Everything makes me cry.”

  He laughs at my fake little pout, so I level him with a glare until he stops what he’s doing and moves in front of me. Hands gripping my hips, he tugs me toward him, kissing the tip of my nose.

  “You’re adorable when you pretend to be mad at me, baby.”

  I growl, which only makes him laugh harder.

  “I’m diggin’ this costume. You make a Satan look sexy as fuck.”

  It’s his turn to growl when he reaches around me, grabbing two handfuls of ass.

  “Not sure I want to take you out in public in this skimpy little dress you’re wearing.”

  “Not sure you have much of a choice, handsome.”

  I lean in for a quick kiss before turning on my heel and walking to the front door. I may put a little extra swing in my hips, just to tease him a bit.

  “Grab those snacks and let’s go. We’re gonna be late.”

  I hear his chuckle as I walk out the door.

  The bar is already packed by the time we get there. Jax parks out back and we make our way through the short hallways to get to the front. Jax escorts me to the reserved table and heads to the bar to get to work.

  I chat with the waitresses whenever they walk by, sipping on a virgin cocktail while I wait for Hailee to show up. She’s the angel to my devil and I can’t wait to see how fabulous she looks in her costume. I know she and Drake are tryi
ng to work through some shit today, so I have no idea when she’s going to be here. I was gonna text her and ask, but I don’t want to interrupt.

  Watching the bar so I can catch Jaxson’s attention for another drink, something on the other side of the room steals my attention. When I realize that I really am seeing Drake’s supposedly pregnant ex-girlfriend downing shots like they’re water, I suddenly don’t give a shit what I interrupt. Grabbing my phone, I find her number and tap the call button.

  Hailee answers and I tell them exactly what this stupid chick is doing. Drake asks me to stall her if she tries to leave, but from the looks of her little fan club, she has no plans to leave anytime soon. He also asks me to tell Jax he’s sorry for the shit that’s about to go down. Laughing, I tell them I’ll see them soon and hang up.

  I’m still laughing when Jax comes to the table with another drink for me.

  “What’s funny?” he asks.

  I point a finger in Angie’s direction, and he looks just in time to see her down another shot.

  He mutters a long string of expletives and scrubs his hand down his face.

  Looking back at me, he asks, “You already called Drake?”

  “You know I did.”

  “Fuck. Guess I’ll go meet him at the back door.”

  He kisses my forehead and walks away, muttering something about the police.

  I intentionally skip the apology. Drake doesn’t need to apologize for shit.

  I can’t wait to see her finally be put in her place. When all this drama started, I already knew Angie wasn’t pregnant. Faking a pregnancy to try to get your man back is disgusting. It’s a big middle finger to all the women in the world who actually struggle to conceive. Angie deserves whatever is coming to her tonight.

  Two hours later, the excitement from the drama has died down. I took pleasure in watching my husband and brother escort that bitch from the bar. It takes an extremely fucked up individual to do the shit she did.